Copper-nickel anode and method of preparing the same



Patented l Vlay 19, 1925.

UNITED STATES SIGUBD GIERTSEN, OF CHRISTIANSSAN'DS, NORWAY, ASSIGNOR '110 KRISTIANSSAIlDS- NIKKELRAFFINEBINGSVERKE, OF CHRISTIANSSANDS-S., NORWAY, A CORPORA- TION or TNOBWAY.

' oorrEa-mcmnnonn AND M THOD or PREPARING THE slum.

Re Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIGURD GIERTSEN, a

citizen of Norway, residing at Christians.

sands-S. Norway, have invented certain new 5 and'useiul Improvements in Copper-Nickel Anodes and Methods of Preparing the Same; and I do hereby declare the following skilled in the art to which it make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in copper-nickel anodes, etc, as well as in the method of their production, and in the refin- 1 ing of Bessemerized copper-nickel matte, etc.

In making copper-nickel anodes for electrolytic refining from Bessemeri'zed coppernickel matte, the present method consists in pulverizing the matte, roasting the pulver- 2 ized matte for the removalof sulfur, thereby converting the metals into the form of oxides, and smelting the resulting oxides to produce metal containing only a small percentage of sulfur, and finally casting such metal into anodes.

I I have now found that the production of copper-nickel anodes from Bessemerized copper-nickel matte can be greatly simplified,

and that an. anode having characteristic comosition andjprdperties, and well adapted or usein electrolytic refining, can be readily produced without the roasting and subsequent smelting operations now used. I have found that, by continuing the blowa ing operation in the Bessemer converter after the iron is slagged' 01f, a suificient amount of sulfur can bere'moved so that the resulting metal composition can be cast into anodes' directly from the converter, and "the anodes 40 will be of s'ufiicient toughness foruse in electrolytic refining, and can be made of a propriate composition for such use. Or inarily, prolonged blowin the converter results in freezin the c arge, but I have 5 found that by ad ing to the charge a small amount of scrap iron or other heat-producing material, such as fend-silicon, sufficient additional heat will bes'upplied by oxidation to permit the sulfur to be gradually Q lowered to a degree considerably below that otherwise commercially feasible. A small quantity of low-grade matte oryrrhotite ore is particularly well adapted or use as heat producing material, since such materials to-pro Application filed September 26,1921. Serial No. 503,359.

seem to give off their sulfur veryYquickly, leaving the iron to oxidize and"therby supply the supplemental heat. By thus proongin the blowing operation, it is possible uce a metal of sufficient toughness for anode making, and containing less than 10% i of sulfur, e. g. about 8 to 10% or less. to be a full, clear, and exact description of I the invention, such" as will enable othersappertains to- The metal thus producedcan be directly cast into anodes from the converter. The anodes thus produced are well ada ted for use in the electrolytic production 0 nickel.

Insteadof casting the metal into anodes, it can be otherwise used in the refining of copper-nickel matte. be pulverized and used for cementing out copper from copper-nickel sulfate solutions,

or as raw material for further refining by otherprocesses. v I claim. 1. The improvement in the Bessemerizing of copper-nickel matte, which comprises continuing the blowing of thecharge after practically all iron has been removed and maintaining the charge at a suflicient temperature by the addition of heat producing material.

2. The improvement in the Bessemerizing of copper-nickel matte, which comprises continuing the blowing of the charge after practically all iron has been'removed and maintaining the charge at a sufficient temperature by the addition of iron or material containing iron which is oxidized and slagged The method of producing copper-nickel nickel matte to a Bessemerizlng operatlon,

The metal .may thus anodes, which comprises sub ecting copperpractically all iron has been removed while maintaining the charge at a sufiicient temperature by/the addition of a heat producmg material, until the metal has a composition adapted for making into anodes, and

casting the resulting metal into anodes.

4. The method of producing copper-nickel anodes, which comprises sub ecting copper nickel matte to a Bessemerizing operation, continuing the blowing of the charge after practically, all iron has been removed, while maintaining the charge at a suflicient temperature by' the addition of a heat producing material, until the sulfur content has been reduced to below 10% and casting the resulting metal into anodes.

5. The improvement in the electrolytic refining of nickel, which comprises carrying out the electrol tic operation with a coppernickel anode 0 metal produced in the Bessemer converter by adding a heat producing material and prolonging the blowing and containing less than about 10% of sulfur.

6. The improvement in the purifying of copper nickel sulfate solutions by cementation which comprises subjecting such solution to the action of metal produced in the Bessemer converter after the addition of a heat producing material and containing less than about 10% of sulfur. I

7. The improvement in the Bessemerizing of copper-nickel matte, which comprises continuingthe blowing of the charge after practically all iron has been removed and maintaining the charge at a sufficient temperature by the addition of ferrosilicon.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

1 srGURD GIERTSEN. 

